Finished windlass project! Lofrans Tigres can now roar better.

Wow, that was pretty epic. I've never before wrestled with fiberglass as I had to do with this project and let me tell you my little Dremel tool saved the day. I had to enlarge the holes for the chain pipe rather substantially and this required work on both the deck (fairly straightforward) and the bulkhead (not at all straightforward). In the end, I won. Through endurance we prevail, like Shackleton said.

Now the windlass mount and system is better than ever. Among the list of improvements:

1. Drained and changed oil in windlass case
2. Removed windlass and cleaned out minor rot in bolt holes, expanded holes, filled with epoxy, and redrilled holes for new bolts. 
3. Replaced old small diameter schedule 40 pipe with new 3" diameter schedule 80 pipe. This will forever prevent any binding of the chain inside the pipe, as used to happen. 
4. Improved connection of power cables to windlass with proper sealing. 
5. Added a 1/4" backing plate under windlass itself, in addition to the one under the deck, so that the windlass itself is not applying torque to the deck but rather is attached firmly to a solid sandwich of plates and decking. This also provided me the opportunity to protect the entrance to the chain pipe with the opening in the plate so that the chain does not abrade on the pipe opening as used to happen. 

Here are some explanatory photos to tell the story. I'm so happy to have done this and can't wait to be out anchoring again!

The new pipe before being cut. The other hole routes the power cables

 

New pipe going from top deck through bulkhead in V-berth. You can see a bit of the carnage and dust my endless sanding and cutting of the new bigger hole created.

View of side of new pipe in chain locker coming out of new bigger hole through bulkhead. Before it was glassed in and sealed.

Pipe cut and before being sealed. I glassed it inside and then sealed the top with 3M 4000 UV. I had to Dremel sand the top smooth for accepting the aluminum plate.

View of top plate. Chain hold opening is about 1/4 inch smaller on all sides than pipe itself. Chain run is smooth and does not bang on plate.

View of completed mount. Used butyl rubber to seal plate to deck and windlass to plate.

View of power cables. They are connected with battery lugs bolted together and then shrink wrapped several times for water and abrasion protection.